Paper roll and method of splicing to expiring web



Jan. 11, 1938. D. J. sco'r'r 2,104,774

'. PAPER ROLL AND METHOD OF SPLIGING TO EXPIRING WEB Filed June 12, 1935 EXP/RING was INVENTOR 49m embcdy ho ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 11, 1938 UNITED STATES PAPER. ROLL AND METHOD OF SPLICING TO EXPIRING WEB David J. Scott, Piainfleld, N. J., assignor to David J. Scott, executor of the estate of Walter Scott,

doing business Plainfleld, N. J.

as Walter Scott & Company, I

Application June 12, 1935, Serial No. 2ii,306

13 Claims.

In the newspaper printing art it is customary to splice the end of a new roll of print paper to an expiring web without stopping the press.

This has been done by placing the new roll close to the expiring web, applying adhesive to the end of the outer layer of the roll, rotating the vroll at suitable speed and then bringing roll and web into contact, thus causing the adhesive to splice the end of the outer layer of the new roll to the ieixpiring web while both roll and web are in mo- During the above operation the new roll is rotated at high speed with the leading end of the outer layer advancing against the air. This requires means for securely holding that end in place, regardless of. wind and speed until the splice is made. On the other hand, the holding means must surely release the leading edge almost simultaneously with the making of the splice.

Any failureeither to securely hold the lead-' ing end during its preparatory rotation or-to completely and surely release the end when the splice is made-results in such a messy clogging of the press and such a great loss of time clearing out the press and paper feed, as well as rethreading the machine (to say nothing of the great amount of paper Waste), that one lostsplice offsets all the possible gain in net production obtainable from a dozen or more successful high speed splices. A high degree of efficiency and certainty of perfect holding and release are therefore essential if high speed splicing is to be profitable, or at least free from extra cost and delay.

Various means have been employed, but all are more or less uncertain or objectionable. One expedient has been to put'spots of grease under the advancing edge to lightly attach it to the next layer of the roll. This holds fairly well for 40 a few rotations at moderate speed and has the advantage of certain release, but is not reliable at high speed. Another has been to put on spots of a light adhesive. This holds better, but if the adhesive hashad time to dry (and in modern newspaper pressroom operation presses have to lay over for an hour or more between editions and splicing preparation must usually be done well in advance of the time for the actual splice) it will not allow the advancing edge to separate properly.

Still another expedient has been to use a tab or sticker made of a thin or easily torn paper. This holds well if used in sufficient number but the edge of the newsprint itself tears very easilysome more easily than others -an'd the slightest at which the splice is made.

chanical difiiculty in uniformly manufacturing circumferential split in the leading edge of the paper roll follows around the roll and ruins the splice. Perforations and slits have been used in paper tabs to form an easy breaking point. The difliculty is to have this weak" point strong enough to surely resist being torn apart by the lifting power of the wind and yet tender enough to reliably let go at'the desired moment. Many instances have occurred where one of the tabs refused to tear apart although others have released the part of the advancing end'theyheld, thus causing frequent missed splices.

, Another fault of the perforated tab scheme has been the cost of the special tabs, which must be made of a particular kind of paper, and with a particular kind of perforation depending on the kind of print paper being used and the speed There is also meperforated tabs with the required balance of strength and weakness.

An object of the present invention is to disclose ways and means for overcoming the difficulties of former devices.

Further and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the specification and claims, and from the accompanying drawing, which illustrates what is now considered the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a new roll prepared for splicing to an expiring web. v

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration immediately after the splice is made.

The expiring web is designated ID in the drawing, and the new roll is l2. Fig. 1 shows roll i2 prepared for splicing. The roll is to be rotated as indicated by the arrow? and the leading edge It is held securely to the body of the roll by one or more tabs it which may be simply gummed kraft paper such as is used for wrapping packages. Adhesive is spread along the paper edge as at it, and the flanks of the leading edge are usually trimmed back as at 20.

The edge of the print paper to which the tabs are attached is provided with a weakened area adjacent each tab in order that the print paper may be readily ruptured by the motion of the web after the splice is made. The weakening may readily be accomplished by perforating the paper near the tab. One convenient method of perforating is to simply slit the paper with a knife, as at 22. Then after the splice is made the paper will tear away as indicated by dotted lines it. There are, however, no means to direct the runtures or tears along the particular lines mmcated by dotted lines 24, but the direction of the ruptures or tears is sometimes perpendicular to the leading edge ll of the roll'and at other times at various other angles with respect to the leading edge of the roll. With any particular kind of print paper the operator readily learns the best length of slit and its proper distance from the edge. The slits are usually made after the leading edge is fastened by the tabs, no harm being done if the knife cuts deeper than the outer layer because the overlap of the expiring end of the old paper roll and the leading end of the new paper roll require the discarding of several copies following the splice.

In Fig. 2 the splice has been made by adhesive l8. Tabs l6 remain on the body of the roll, each tab having attached to it the scrap of paper 26 torn from the advancing edge of the roll immediately after the splice was made.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment herein illustrated and described, but may be used in other ways without departure from its spirit as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A roll of paper adapted for rotation on its axis and having an exposed leading end, a weakened area in said end, and means for connecting said weakened area to the body of the roll, for the purpose set forth.

2. A roll of paper adapted for rotation on its axis and having an exposed leading end, a weakened area in said end, and a tab connecting said weakened area to the body of the roll, for the purpose set forth.

3. A roll of paper adapted for rotation on its axis and having an exposed leading end, a tab connecting said end to the body of the roll, said paper being perforated to form a weakened area adjacent the end of said tab, substantially as set forth.

4. In the method of splicing the end of a new roll of print paper to an expiring web, the steps of forming a weakened area in the end of the roll, connecting said weakened area to the body of the roll, and attaching said roll end to said ,web whereby the movement of the web ruptures said weakened area. A

5. In the method of splicing the end of a new roll of print paper to an expiring web, the steps of placing adhesive on the outer surface of the end of the roll at theadvancing edge thereof, forming a weakened area in said edge, connecting said weakened area to the body of the mil, and attaching said roll end to said web by means of said adhesive, whereby the movement of the web ruptures said weakened area.

6. In the method of splicing the end of a new roll of print paper to an expiring web, the steps .of placing adhesive on the outer surface of the end of the roll at the advancing edge thereof, forming a weakened area in said edge, connecting said weakened area to the body of the roll, rotating the roll to bring its surface speed to approximately that of the web, and attaching said roll end to said web by means of said adhesive, whereby the movement of the web ruptures said weakened area.

7. The method of separating a web end, which is in connection with a web roll at a point on its leading edge, which consists in causing adherence of the web and to a running web, thereby tearin the web end beside the point of connection.

8. The method of preparing a replacement web roll for replacing an expiring web roll in a machine operating upon a web, which consists in weakening the material of the replacement web adjacent a point on its leading edge, securing the replacement web at the aforesaid point on its leading edge to the replacement roll, and providing means on the replacement web adjacent the point of securement to cause adherence of the replacement web to the Web of the expiring web roll when the same are engaged, and tearing the material of the replacement web at the weakened portion.

9. A replacement web roll having a leading web edge, means at a point on the leading edge securing said web edge to said roll, means on said roll adjacent said connecting means to cause adherence of said web edge to a running web, the web material at said web edge being weakened adjacent'the aforesaid point of securement, to insure separation of said edge from said replacement web roll by tearing of the material where it is weakened, when the edge adheres to the'running web of the other roll.

10. A replacement web roll having a web end connected to the body of the roll at its leading edge, and means for tearing the web end beside the point of connection by causing adherence of the web end to a running web.

11. A replacement web roll havinga web end with portions thereof atits leading edge permanently connected to the body of the roll, and means for tearing the web end beside the points of connection by causing adherence of the web end to a running web.

12. A replacement roll having a web end and a tab connecting the web end to the body of the roll at its leading edge, and means for tearing the web end beside the point of connection by causing adherence of the web end to a running web and maintaining the tab intact.

13. In combination, a replacement web roll having a leading web end, an expiring web roll having a running web extending therefrom, means to attach a part of said web end perma nently to the body of the replacement web roll, means to connect said leading web end to the running web, and a weakened area on thereplacement web between said permanent attachment and said connecting means, to insure separation of the web end from its roll, when the web end and the running web are connected together.

DAVID J. SCOTT. 

